


A Book By Its Cover

by nausicaa82



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M, Fluff, Librarian!Steve, M/M, Punk!Thor, Thundershield - Freeform, Underage Drinking, teenage!loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-13
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-19 08:12:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/881514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa82/pseuds/nausicaa82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor has to move back to the suburbs for a month to take care of his teenage brother while their parents are away. Loki has plans to play matchmaker to his older brother whom he idolizes. Steve has always known better than to judge a book by its cover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by the beautiful drawings of Punk!Thor [here](http://bangyourhammeronme.tumblr.com/post/54962933159) and [here](http://m-u-n-c-h-y.tumblr.com/post/55039848665/sketchy-fan-art-of-bangyourhammeronmes). 
> 
> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

"Mr. Selvigg said I had to come here to find a book!" Loki hissed at his older brother as the two of them entered the branch library.  

"Just don't take forever, I have plans tonight."

"You mean _we_ have plans tonight," Loki corrected. 

The 25 year old blond sighed and looked up towards the ceiling. Their parents had left town that morning for business, and this time it was going to be for a whole month. His mother had convinced Thor it would be easier to shuttle Loki to school and his orchestra rehearsals if he just stayed in their house rather than trying to drive in from Thor's apartment in the city. So Thor had spent the day moving the things he couldn't do without back into his childhood room in his parents' over-sized suburban home. However, tonight he still had a gig with his band, The Warriors Three, and with no other alternative, he was going to have to bring his baby brother along. 

He had picked Loki up from his private violin lessons only ten minutes prior, but Thor had already had a refresher course on how annoying the 13 year old still was. He seemed to constantly crave any kind of attention and wanted his whims to be met instantly as though he ruled the world.

"My music project is due on Monday, and if we wanted until tomorrow to come, the library would be overrun with little kids, and I'd get sick from their germs and then--"

"God! It's fine, Loki. We're here and like, no one else is here. Just go get the books you need, and let's go."

"Where are they?" Loki and Thor looked around and saw a few displays of best sellers, lots of DVDs, and computer terminals, but neither of them could see the actual book-books.

"How would I know?'

"You're the adult!"

"Yes, but you're the nerd," Thor playfully teased as he pulled Loki in a headlock and messed up his hair. Loki yelped a little too loudly, and then tried to get out of the hold. As the two of them started rough-housing and laughing, a woman behind them cleared her throat.

"Excuse me," she said and then again a little louder. The two brothers stopped and turned to see the stern-looking woman behind the circulation counter. She was obviously sizing the two of them up. Loki's thin and lanky body, his pale skin contrasting sharply against his dark hair, and his sweet eyes always made people underestimated his deviousness. Thor bet she was going to give the boy a pass, but when he saw her take in his own long unkempt hair, his piercings, his scraggly beard, his tattooed arms, his torn jeans, and his heavy boots; he felt ready for a fight about expected social norms on appearance. Her face tensed slightly and without another word, she pointed over to the desk in the middle of the floor.

Under a big red sign reading "NEED HELP?" stood a fairly tall and broad shouldered man in a camel colored cardigan and a black tie. He was typing away at the computer and seemed to be humming to himself. Loki was pulling Thor along as he kept glaring back at the woman, but when they approached the man, Thor's attention completely focused on the sight before him. _This librarian is a rather good-looking guy._ When the man looked up at them and smiled, Thor felt he needed to amend the record to show that this man was _gorgeous_.

"Hi, I'm Steve. How may I help you this evening?"

 -=-=-

Thor was trimming up his beard when the 13-year-old barged into his bathroom.

"I'm ready!"

Thor looked in the mirror at Loki's outfit-- black skinny jeans, black chucks, and his green T-shirt with three white horses running under a full moon. Loki had tried his best "edge up" his clothes by adding safety-pins randomly.

“Those are more for when you get holes, not really just to have them. You look like a sad little pincushion.”

"This is my coolest shirt; I wanted to look cool for your friends at the bar."

"Lo-ki," Thor sing-songed as he put his trimmer down on the vanity. "You don't have to try to impress anyone. You want to be your own man, and not have anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't look like." Thor saw his brother's hopeful expression reflected in the mirror, so the blond turned around and did a bit of tweaking on the teen's outfit. He removed the safety-pined shirt, and they found a plain olive green one that was less peculiar than the horses. Thor then grabbed some gel and slicked back Loki's hair. After lending one of his wallet chains, Loki wasn't looking half bad anymore, or at least not so painfully posturing.

"Do you want some ink tonight?" Thor asked with a smile as he tied his own hair back with a band. Loki lit up with excitement. He was in awe of his older brother's tattoos and couldn't wait until he was old enough to get some, too.

"How about an animal on this arm and some runes down the other?" Thor grabbed a sharpie off his desk and sat down to make the design.

"Yes! I want a wolf, a horse, a snake, and.."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there. We don't have that long. Just one animal, Loki." Thor saw his brother quickly trying to weigh the pros and cons of each in his mind.

"Ok, the wolf. No! The serpent!" Loki tried not to laugh as the felt tip of the marker tickled his skin. Thor stuck his tongue out of his mouth just barely as he drew a serpent wrapping around his brother's forearm, the head right over his wrist. Then he moved on to Loki's right arm to draw the runes.

"Do you think Steve will come?" Loki asked as he watched Thor draw a "W" shape hear his elbow.

"Hmm??" Thor was concentrating on the design of the next shape.

"The librarian, do you think he'll come out to watch your band?"

"Oh? Him? No, he's not going to come. He was being polite because that's his job. When weird little kids ask him to come watch their brothers' bands play in the city, he says, 'I'll try.' Besides the library was closing so he wanted to get us on our way."

"But he smiled at you."

"That's also his job."

"The lady librarian didn't smile at us when we checked the books and CDs out."

"Well, I think _not_ smiling is a part of her job."

"Well, I think Steve is going to come to see you because it was obvious he liked you."

"What would you know?" Thor added some knot-work to Loki's wrist.

"You like him, too. You trimmed your beard."

"I can leave you here." Thor's voice was just on the edge of anger.

"A bet then-- if the librarian comes, you have to buy me a drink from the bar."

"And if he doesn't, you are going to let it go. Guys like him don't like guys like me."

"DEAL!" Loki shook his brother's hand, grinning like he already won.

"Deal," Thor agreed, "however, good luck on getting anyone to serve you." He motioned to the "runes" on Loki's right forearm, but the young boy didn't understand.

"dONIW??"

"Close," Thor rotated his arm so Loki could see how it read facing out.

"MINOR!? Damn it, Thor!" The blond just smiled and shook his head.

"Last time, you drank half a beer and threw up in my van. Besides, it doesn't matter because he's not coming."

-=-=-

During their second song, Thor looked into the crowd as he expertly kept time on the drums. When he saw Steve standing next to Loki and Sif near the wall, he almost dropped his sticks. The blond seemed a little different: now wearing a tight black T-shirt and a beer in his hands; however, his smile was still the same and Thor still felt like it was better than anything he had seen in a long time.

Loki noticed his brother's gaze and gave two thumbs up. He couldn't wait until the set was over and he could try to claim his prize.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve stood outside The Two Goats, rocked back and forth on his feet, and checked his phone for the third time since he had arrived. Finally, Bucky came around the corner, smoking, all cool and collected without any hurry in his step. 

“Did you take the train or just saunter all the way here?” Steve barbed. 

“Aren’t you impatient?” Bucky smiled while evaluating Steve’s tight jeans and simple black t-shirt under his brown leather jacket. “He must be really cute.”

“Shut up, you jerk. It’s not like that. Guys like him don’t like guys like me.”

“Then why are you here? You never come into the city anymore.”

“You said I needed to get out more, so here I am out to listen to a band that’s going to start any minute now.”

“Good. You’ve been mopey since the breakup when you should be having a little bit of fun, or a lot of fun. That sounds better, a lot of fun with a musician. Just be your normal weird self and…” Bucky trailed off as his gazed followed the petite redhead who walked by them and went into the bar. 

“Fuck me,” Bucky muttered, taking a long drag off his cigarette. 

“No thanks,” Steve countered while rolling his eyes. 

“I wasn’t talkin’ to you. Come on, let’s go in already.” He flicked the butt away, exhaling the last bit of smoke like a dragon waking. Once inside, Bucky pulled him against a wall covered in layers of old flyers for bands that had long since parted. 

“Give me your jacket, Steve.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, I’m cold and you somehow are sweating and,” he stretched up to look over Steve’s shoulder at the woman talking to another auburn haired woman and a man with a slick goatee at a table. “I wanna look bigger. You look great no matter what; I need to not be so invisible. Come on.” Steve sighed and shrugged his leather jacket off, passing it to his friend. 

“I’ll need it back.”

“No problem. I don’t plan on being dressed for very long tonight.” Steve rolled his eyes again and looked away from whatever show Bucky was going to put on to impress his latest target. Now alone in the crowd of people he didn’t know, he scratched softly at the exposed side of his neck, feeling unsure, he turned to leave but the band took the small stage and the room started cheering. 

“We are The Warriors Three. Let’s do this! One, two, three, four!” the lead announced before they started playing a loud and fast song. Steve stopped his retreat and was mesmerized by Thor. He was only wearing a kilt and boots, and Steve could appreciate the colorful ink that covered his flexing arms and chest. His hair was moving with each shake and nod of his head. Steve couldn’t even make out the song itself, lost in the motions of the drummer as his whole body moved with the beat. The audiences’ applause and hollers at the end of the song snapped him out of his trance, and he made his way to the bar to buy himself a drink when he felt a tug at his arm. 

“YOU CAME!!” Loki shrieked as the second song started. 

“Well, I said I would try and…”

“This is great! Come sit with us, Steve!” Loki lead him to a side table near the stage that was already covered in beer buckets and a very pretty woman moving with the music. 

“This is Sif,” Loki was speaking loudly, trying to be heard over the band. 

“Sif, this is _Steve_.” Steve turned his head to Loki as the boy had drawn out his name in a particularly odd way. Sif look him over, quirked her eyebrow, and then smiled. 

“So you’re the librarian, huh?”

“Well, I am _a_ librarian.” She motioned for him to sit and handed him a bottle out of the selection before them. She leaned in closer to his ear.

“I didn’t think a librarian would like this kind of scene.”

“I guess I’m not as ‘by the book’ as people would think.” Steve smirked as he twisted the cap off without any trouble. 

“Oh lord! You think you’re clever with puns, too. Loki’s right, you and Thor are a match.” Steve choked on the drink he was taking, but the song was loud enough to cover it and his companions were looking at the stage, Loki giving a thumbs up. The band started playing a third song that was somehow even louder and obviously the crowd knew it already because they screamed and sang along. The open area in front of the stage became more packed with bodies jumping and dancing. The energy was infectious and Steve smiled like a damn fool for the rest of set, his eyes on Thor the whole time even as Loki kept leaning in to talk to him. 

-=-=-

When the set was done, more than half of the bar cleared out, and after a while the band came back to the table. Thor had put on a white shirt and pulled his hair back, and the four men were laughing and talking with each other.

“I was right!” Loki sing-songed. “You owe me a drink!” Thor sighed, but kept smiling as he handed his brother a light beer.

“Only six buckets tonight?” Volstagg lamented. 

“Well, we didn’t play ‘The Ravens’ Secrets.’ We usually get three from that song alone,” Hogun said.

“How could we without Sif?” Fandral cooed while sitting next to her. 

“What were you right about, Loki?” Steve asked. 

“That you liked Th--” Thor hand covered Loki’s mouth in a tight grip. 

“That you liked the beer here. They don’t have those fancy microbrews.”

“I’m easy. If it tastes good, I’ll lap it up.” Steve said at the exact moment there was a collective pause in almost every conversation going on, coming out much louder and suggestive than Steve had intended. Thor’s already ruddy cheeks darkened more, his hand moved away from his brother, and Steve cleared his throat, trying desperately to move on. 

“So, why are you The Warriors Three when there are four of you?” Steve asked the table. 

“Five, actually. Sif usually plays with us, but she sat out tonight,” Fandral explained. 

“Someone had to keep this one under control.” She nodded to Loki, the young boy was about to protest but Fandral continued on. 

“It was a joke about Ben Folds Five, there were only three of them and people were confused so we flipped it.”

“Yes because this crowd loves in-jokes about late 90s indie rock ensembles,” Sif teased at him. 

“Not this again!” Frandral groaned. They continued fighting about the name but then it quickly evolved to her sitting on his lap as they kissed and pawed at each other.

“Hey, rabbits, there is a child at the table,” Thor protested. 

“I am not a child! And I’ve seen more than that at music camp this past summer!” The band laughed and Steve seemed to be the only one to hear Loki follow it with a mumbled “I’ve done more than that at music camp.”

Sif and Fandral continued their game of snarking and kissing, and Volstagg talked with Loki about the latest book the boy had been reading in his free time. A group of pretty girls came over to invite Hogun to a game of pool in the side room, and he took a bucket with him with a smile on his face. “Don’t expect me back, boys.”

And Thor and Steve just clicked—they talked and laughed and moved closer together in the booth without realizing it until their thighs touched under the table and any earlier uncertainty Steve had about coming seemed stupid and cowardly. When it was last call, Steve’s chest actually hurt that he was going to have to leave.

“Can I call you sometime?” he whispered in Thor’s ear, mainly so if Thor said no, it’s not like it was in front of an audience. But he didn’t say no, he instead cocked his head to the side and smiled. 

“Give me your phone, I’ll put in my number.”

Steve instinctively reached for his coat pocket but for the first time in hours remembered Bucky borrowed it. His movements became more jerky as he looked around the almost deserted bar. 

“Fuck.” The color was draining from his face. “Fuck, fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Thor asked. 

“I don’t have my jacket. I don’t have my phone, or my wallet, or—fuck – I don’t have my keys to my bike.”

“You have a bike?” Loki’s face lit with excitement.

“Well, it’s not that impressive without the keys. Fuck, can I use your phone for just a moment.” While Steve’s phone had the decency to ring five times before going to his voice mail, Bucky’s didn’t even ring once before Bucky’s recorded voice was telling him, “You know what to do.” 

But other than a string of threats and a plea to bring him his jacket, Steve _didn’t_ know what to do. They moved outside to let the staff close up, and as the air was much colder now, Steve was trying to think of how long it would take for him to run to Bucky’s apartment since the trains had stopped. 

“Thor, it was a really great night, but I’ve got to go track down my jacket thief at his place and crash on his couch. I liked talking with you and your band is just…” _Don’t say swell, don’t say swell,_ he thought. “… really swell.” Steve internally cringed and decided that the cold must be freezing the parts of his brain that kept him from being an idiot. Thor started to speak, but Loki beat him to it. 

“What? No. It’s—what if he’s not there? If he was at home, he’d answer. He’s obviously out, and it’s too cold for you to be without a jacket! We’ll take you home,” Loki blurted out, swaying a bit. 

“But I can’t get into my apartment.”

“No, we’ll take you to our home,” Loki clarified. Immediately Steve and Thor started hem hawing, and Loki looked as if he would soon have a fit. 

“Look, Thor, he obviously is a good person because he passed whatever background they do for people who work with children. And Steve, Thor, is obviously a good person because,” he paused as he looked up at his older brother, “because I said he is and I wouldn’t lie about that. Now can we go? I’m getting really cold and feel funny.” Loki swayed as he started walking to Thor’s van. 

“I don’t want to impose,” Steve said low so only Thor could hear. 

“My parents are out; it’ll be fine,” Thor answered.

“I didn’t think I’d hear that line again after grad school,” Steve teased as he got into the passenger’s seat. 

“I didn’t think I’d be saying that line after high school,” Thor replied as Loki sleepily curled up next to Thor’s bass drum. “But I’m glad I get to bring you home tonight. I--,” he was silent as he tried a few times to get the engine started, “I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to you, yet.”

This time it’s Steve’s turn to blush, and the ride back was actually really pleasant as Steve looked over Thor’s music on his iPod and they talked softly to not wake Loki. When they pull up to a huge gate and Thor typed in a code, Loki started to stir.

“I don’t feel well,” Loki groaned as they drove down the long path to a huge house and parked around the back. Steve got out and opened the side door, helping the teen out only to have him vomit down the blond’s shirt and jeans. 

“Damn it, Loki! I only gave you one beer-- one light beer! I’m so sorry, Steve.”

“It’s ok,” Steve supported the boy as they walked to the house. “I’ve survived worse.”

“I have some things that should fit you. We’ll wash that out, and Loki will be making it up to you, won’t you?” Loki didn’t say anything but nodded his head against Steve’s side.

-=-=-

As he told Steve for years after that night, it really hadn’t been his fault. When she had stripped him on the way to her bed, he couldn’t even remember his name much less that it wasn’t his coat. When Steve had called, he couldn’t hear the ringtone as her thighs were covering his ears. When the blue light from his phone flashed signifying he had a voice message, he was too occupied looking at the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen in his life. 

And when all was said and done, it had really worked out for all of them, hadn’t it?


	3. Chapter 3

Loki awoke to the loud thumps of his brother banging on his bedroom door, the sound reverberating through his room. 

"Loki, come down for some food," Thor bellowed through the wood as the young boy groaned. He tried to roll on to his back but a large pillow kept him on his side. His head hurt, his body ached, and his mouth tasted awful. He looked at his clock then closed his eyes again, trying to muster up the strength to rise. When he heard even more banging, he realized fifteen minutes had passed seemingly within an instant. 

"Hurry up and bring your wallet," his brother’s now gruffer voice commanded. Loki knew ignoring the problem rarely worked out well when it was Thor who was the problem. He sat up and moved his foot off the bed only to have it land in his wastebasket. 

He couldn't remember how exactly he had got to bed but had flashes of taking off his jeans while someone wiped his face with a damp washcloth and someone else made sure he couldn’t turn on his back. He could remember the sudden queasy feeling when they had left the bar for the night. The memory of being sick on Steve surfaced, and with a smile he was glad he at least used it to further his plan. Thor’s face as Steve peeled off his soiled shirt was vivid in Loki’s mind even if everything else about that moment was fuzzy. It was adorable to Loki how predictable Thor was, how easy it was to play him like a fiddle, and as long as he hadn't misjudged the librarian, all would be good.

He sluggishly made his way down the staircase in his boxers and green shirt from the night before hearing laughing and something sizzling down the hallway. The bright lights of the kitchen were too much for his slow pupils, and he actually hissed while shielding his eyes with his wallet. 

"Don't be so dramatic," Thor sighed as he moved to the fridge. "How is it you are so bad at handling one light beer?" he asked as he handed over a blue Gatorade. 

"I haven't the slightest..." Loki trailed off as his eyes adjusted and saw Steve at the stove frying bacon. He was wearing a pair of Thor’s sweatpants-- just a bit too loose on his frame-- and a Warriors Three T-shirt. Loki smiled in satisfaction seeing the flashes of love bites near the collar and bruises on his hip as Steve reached to retrieve bread for the toaster. He slithered into his seat at the breakfast counter, not taking his eyes off the cook. 

"Did you get enough sleep, Steve?" Loki asked. 

"Ah, yeah I did. Thank you for inviting me to um... be your guest.” 

“Nothing kept you _up_?” 

“Nope, slept well,” Steve replied so casually, without looking up from the pan. No one ever seemed to catch when Loki was being cruel. It was so obvious to him by the way the blond’s short hair stuck up in odd directions what had happened. And while he wanted this to work, he hated to pass up an opportunity to make others uncomfortable. 

"Mother has commented that she should buy a new mattress for the bed there in the guest room. What do you think?” At that Steve did tense a little and looked up to the ceiling. 

“I really couldn’t say one way or the other.”

“And why is that?” Loki asked in an innocent tone, but then his fun was cut short as Thor shook a bottle of pills right next to his ear, making him almost fall off his chair. 

“Hmmm, headache, Little Brother?” Loki snatched the bottle from his brother’s hand after a bit of struggle, opened the lid, and swallowed two with the rest of his sports drink. 

“You ruined Steve’s shirt, so we’re going out to go buy him another one and stop by my studio in the city then get his bike,” Thor said. Loki started to speak but Thor continued, “We’ll most likely be out late. You are to stay here.” Loki, even feeling terrible, tried his hardest to look disappointed.

“But I want to go into the city!” he whined, laying it on as thick as he thought he could manage. 

“You did that last night. I am the one responsible for you. You will stay here and work on the music assignment we got those things for yesterday.” Steve knitted his brows as he buttered the toast and plated the food.

“You have to write a report on Shostakovitch now?” Steve questioned. Loki looked down at his plate; he was so close to everything working out. “I thought--”

“How much will your new shirt cost?” Loki cut off. Steve startled for a bit then shrugged his shoulders. 

“I’m not sure, maybe ten bucks?” Steve bit into his piece of toast and poured coffees for Thor and himself.

“You’ll give him thirty,” Thor commanded. 

“But, Thooor!” Loki started but stopped when Thor put a strip of bacon from his plate onto Loki’s.

“No ‘buts.’ If you are going to be such a light weight, you need to be better about turning away from people when you are sick. You will pay him extra for the emotional damage of being vomited on by a child, and you are not to leave the house today.”

“Fine, I’ll be a prisoner here in my own home.”

“You will be fine, but I will call the house phone to check on you, make sure this isn’t the beginning of one of your feared illness.”

“Make sure I’m still here, you mean.” 

Thor did not answer, but gave him a wide grin as he drank from his coffee mug. 

-=-=-

After the meal and promising to take care of the dishes later, Loki went back up to his room to lay down again but was distracted by the smeared ink on his arm. In his attached bathroom, he grabbed some rubbing alcohol to remove the runes Thor had written the day before. Once they were gone, he contemplated removing the still intact snake from his other arm, but there was a much softer knock than what had awoken him just a half hour before. 

“Yes?” he asked as he opened the door to a sheepish looking Steve, still in Thor’s band’s shirt but now in his own jeans. 

“I wanted to give this back to you.” He held out the twenty Loki had just surrendered with a ten in the kitchen. “The shirt wasn’t even that nice, and I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I used to be sick a lot; I think the pain of vomiting is a severe enough punishment in itself to atone for almost any sin.” 

“Sin?” Loki asked again as innocently as he could. Steve shifted his eyes down the hallway towards Thor’s room. 

“I know you’re a good musician. You should be better at counting,” Steve said in a whisper. Loki's mouth opened and he went still in the panic of being called out. Steve’s arched eyebrow told that he had seen Loki steal sips from others' bottles at the table while they were busy flirting with each other or droning on about books. 

“I, I…” Loki was scrambling trying to think of a way to explain what he had done. 

“Hey, Loki, I just want you to be safe, ok? It’s really more fun for everyone when you respect your limit.” Steve smiled and moved away from the door. 

“Steve," Loki called out to him before he got too far. “Thanks for not telling my brother.”

“Don’t have to, think he knows,” Steve replied. Loki was unsure what exactly he could say in response, but finally decided to play his last card for his scheme. 

“Just so you know, I wouldn’t mind you… your being around. His smile is different when it’s for you, and you’re so helpful.” Loki looked down to his fingers picking at the door frame then back up. “Sometimes he really needs some help.” Steve colored a bit and nodded his head. 

“Speaking of helping, didn’t I help you with your big paper on Tchaikovsky earlier this week? Why are you doing one on Shostakovitch now?” 

“Oh, um, I…” Loki did not have a chance to finish his lie as thankfully his brother appeared from his room, dressed and ready to take Steve out on their date. He gave Loki a crushing hug, warned him to be good, and then guided a waving Steve down the stairs. Loki shut his door with a relieved sigh. Almost everything had fallen into place despite some changing variables. It wasn’t a full minute that the house phone in the hallway started ringing, and he went to answer, thinking Thor was already testing him. 

“ _Loki_?” a sweet voice asked, and the boy immediately broke into a wide grin. 

“Darling! Oh, how I’ve missed you!”

“ _We saw each other just yesterday afternoon at rehearsal_.” 

“Yes, but Mr. Selving was a right prat and kept us late so I couldn’t walk you to algebra. I barely made it to geology as it was. I want to see you. Come over.” 

“ _I shouldn’t_.”

“Oh, but you should. I have a terrible headache, and your being here would be such a comfort. I’m miserable and all alone. I seem to have provided my brother with a rather large distraction.” He moved the sheer curtain from the window and saw the two blonds by the van. As Thor reached to open the passenger door for Steve, the smaller man pulled him closer for a passionate kiss. Thor’s hands seem to go back to the spot on Steve’s hips where Loki had seen the bruises. “I need you.”

“ _I can’t_.”

“Why ever not?” 

“ _I have to work on my report—_ “

“On Shostakovitch?”

“ _Yes, that one_.”

“Well, you may find that every book and CD on that composer in the town are here in my book bag.” 

“ _You checked them all out from the library_?”

“For you, Darling,” Loki crooned. “To save you the trouble of going there and to make sure I would see you this weekend. So, come over.” Loki looked at the crumpled bill Steve had given back. “You’ll work on your report, I’ll practice my Telemann, then I’ll order us dinner and we can watch some Netflix together. Please?”

“ _Oh, Loki, you are just impossible. Guys like you—_ ”

“There are no guys like me,” he corrected, and her delighted giggle caused him to bite his lower lip. 

-=-=-

By the time Sigyn arrived, he had scrubbed all of the ink from his arms, showered, and put on his best black button down shirt. The dishes were done, and the den was picked up. Although still a bit achy, he did play for her and helped with her citations like Steve had shown him earlier than week. Later when they cuddled close on the sofa to watch a movie, he brushed the back of his fingers up and down her bare arm and smelled the intoxicating fragrance of her golden hair. Thor had been too busy to call, but Loki didn’t seem to mind. He had all the attention he wanted with her there, and once again, things had turned out exactly as he had planned.


End file.
